BY VINCENT TODARO
Staff Writer

EAST BRUNSWICK - Though a triathlon may be the last thing most people want to think about in these dog days, it's one of the things Virginia Corpus most looks forward to this time of year.

Corpus, a township resident, recently proved her mettle by winning her age group at the first-ever Eco-Triathlon, held in Secaucus. Part of Meadowfest 2006, the race tested competitors' abilities to bicycle, canoe and run in succession. It took Corpus only an hour and 46 minutes to complete the triathlon, and she won for women ages 50 to 54, the highest age group for women.

The triathlon was grueling; contestants needed to race 10 miles on bicycles, then canoe 3 kilometers in the Hackensack River before finishing with a 4-mile run.

Corpus said the event was different from most triathlons in that the biking came first. Triathlons typically kick off with swimming, followed by biking and then running. She enjoyed the fact that the order was different, and canoeing was substituted for swimming. This was the first time she even competed in a triathlon with canoeing.

That was in jeopardy though because there was some thought of not even holding the canoeing portion due to winds.

"A couple of people capsized due to the wind," she said. "There was a point I thought I could not get out of the marsh."

The heavy winds even forced some people to end by biking even more than the 10 necessary miles.

Triathlons have different distances, and this one used the Olympic distance, which is shorter, for example, than the Ironman distance.

Corpus prefers training for the shorter events because it leaves her time for family and work. She signs up for a few triathlons each season, and they usually begin in June. Because this event was held in early June, participants did not have to worry about cold-water temperatures.

Corpus said she chose to compete in part because the event was close to home. She entered another triathlon about two weeks later in Philadelphia.

Getting ready for such events takes dedicated and smart preparation. Her training includes working on at least two of the events every day, plus lifting weights at least twice a week. Diet also plays a key role in preparation, though she said she does not do anything dramatic.

"I try not to eat much junk food, and concentrate on protein and carbs, from things like fruits and vegetables," she said.

And of course, there's the grand carbohydrate motivator - the pasta meal the night before the event, she said.

Meadowfest 2006 was organized by the Meadowlands Liberty Convention and Visitors Bureau, and funded by a grant from the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission. The event is aimed at highlighting tourism and celebrating the Hackensack River.

The event ran all day and featured many family-oriented events to educate residents on the wildlife and natural resources of the Meadowlands, including nature tours, amusement park rides and interactive learning exhibits.